60 Minutes — 33 Circus Lions Flown From Peru to South Africa

60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker interviews Jan Creamer and Tim Phillips, the co-founders of Animal Defenders International (ADI), an organization that rescues animals from circuses. Over the years, ADI has recruited circus workers “to secretly record beating and other cruel treatment of the animals” in their efforts to pass laws prohibiting the use of wild animals in circuses. On 60 Minutes, Whitaker watches as the the ADI packs 33 lions in Peru for “the largest airlift of lions in history” — to South Africa.

60 Minutes traveled to Africa, too, to capture the big cats roaming the 30 acres of a lush preserve. Phillips tells Whitaker: “Seeing these animals when you’ve taken them to as close as we can give them to freedom really is what it’s all about,” says Phillips. 60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7pm on CBS.